Amid protests, Hungary faces US pressure over media regulation

As thousands take to streets in Budapest to protest changes to constitution, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton voices concerns over closure of radio station in personal letter to Hungarian prime minister

Hungary's ruling Fidesz part faced widespead criticism in 2011 over dramatic changes to the way media organisations are regulated

Credit: Zselosz in Flickr. Some rights reserved

Tens of thousands gathered yesterday in the Hungarian capital
Budapest, according to reports, to protest against changes to the
country's constitution which have been widely criticised as an
attack on democracy.

In a letter to Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban sent on 23
December, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton expressed concern
over changes to media regulation in the country, specifically over
the recent withdrawal of the licence of a radio station known to be
critical of the government.

Klubradio announced in December that it would be forced to close by
31 March 2012 after the government's Media Council, whose members
were all nominated by the Fidesz party and whose cross-platform
authority and system of "co-regulation" has been criticised, had
awarded its frequency to another relatively unknown radio station,
Autoradio.

According to Hungarian media network
Politics.hu, Media Council spokesperson Karola Kirisci said the
station had not scored highly enough in certain criteria, although
she reportedly refused to explain the criteria involved at a press
conference.

Dunja Mijatovic, press freedom representative for the Organisation
for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), told Politics.hu it
was "regrettable that an independent and popular political talk
radio station is to be terminated".

"The radio station known for its critical political views had half
a million listeners daily. As an important source of independent
information it contributed to the diversity of the media."

Five journalists in Budapest, including two employees of state
television broadcaster MTV, have been on hunger strike over media
regulation since 10 December, according to the
BBC. The two MTV employees, who were reportedly fired by the
broadcaster in December, are camping with three others outside the
MTV building and demanding that five editors who they accuse of
political interference are sacked.

The Hungarian government faced widespread criticism over its media
policy in 2011 from the European Parliament, the UN human rights
council, the OSCE, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of
Expression, and a host of international press freedom groups.

Their report also claimed that the laws – which allow Hungarian
courts to force journalists to reveal sources – is not consistent
with EU standards in its provision for source protection and media
plurality.